Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone will lose its patent protection in 2014 rather than 2015 because of a ruling from a US appeals court Friday.

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued its decision in a patent fight between Teva and rivals Sandoz and Mylan Inc. The result is that a generic version of Copaxone can be launched in May 2014, a year early. (Reuters)